Designed as a ceramic coating primer and gloss enhancer, Essence has built-in SiO2 Quartz for long-lasting protection and light abrasives to polish away fine swirls and scratches. Where we have grown to love Essence even more is as an AIO (All in One) polish. When paired with a Meguiar’s Microfiber Finishing Disc and a long-throw DA polishing machine such as the Griots BOSS G21, Essence has the potential to polish away light to medium defects and leave an outstanding finish to apply a sealant on top of. The combination of Essence + CarPro Reload has been one of our go-to pairings for AIO/light polishing jobs.

Not every vehicle that comes into our shop receives a full paint correction. In some cases, only a small amount of polishing and a sealant application is on deck to improve the finish of a vehicle… That’s where Essence + Reload comes into play. The pair is a quick and effective combination that produces a finish normally reserved for a much more expensive paint polishing service.

Polishing with Essence at speed 3.5-4 on the Griots Boss G21. We first primed the entire face of the pad with Essence and applied an additional 2-3 dime sized drops.

In some cases, if too much pressure is used during polishing, Essence can to a little tricky to remove. Not to worry, a little IPA and a microfiber towel and it comes right off.

Removing Essence with a high quality microfiber towel using straight line motions and light pressure.

As you can see, on a relatively hard Range Rover paint, Essence has eliminated fine scratches, using its light abrasives and substantial filling ability. Also, keep in mind if you are working on a vehicle that has a limited amount of material (clear) left to polish, Essence is one product that can come in handy. When paired with a mild finishing pad such as the Rupes White Pad, Essence can enhance any paintwork while removing very little clear coat.

Once the polishing stages were completed, we turned our attention to the CarPro Reload application. We first wiped the paint down with IPA which will ensure that the sealant can bond to the surface. Then, we applied Reload to the paint, wheels, trim and glass.

On directions on how to apply Reload, check out our product review by clicking here.

This detail was completed in 3.5 hours…but the finish has the look of a much more extensive job. That’s just the magic of this combination. Stunning results in a short amount of time.

Final pictures showing the metallic flake really popping out on this Range Rover paint.

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]]>http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/product-review-carpro-essence-carpro-reload/feed/19Ford Focus RS: New Car Prep Detail & Paint Protection Film (PPF) Applicationhttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/ford-focus-rs-new-car-prep-detail-paint-protection-film-ppf-application/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/ford-focus-rs-new-car-prep-detail-paint-protection-film-ppf-application/#commentsThu, 20 Oct 2016 12:00:02 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=20426When the team heard a new Ford Focus RS was coming in, it is safe to say we were all a little giddy. I mean… a Nitrous Blue RS, that’s one sweet color and we couldn’t wait to get our hands on it.

Once the vehicle arrived, we performed our initial inspection, which mostly involved us drooling over the car.

We then brought it into the wash bay to begin our decontamination stages. We started with the wheels, giving them a thorough rinse followed by liberally spraying Gtechniq W6 Iron and General Fallout Cleaner onto the faces and barrels. We left the wheel cleaner to cling to the brake dust for about 2-3 minutes and agitated with a variety of boar’s hair brushes.

After the wheels were completed, we rinsed the body removing any loose dirt and debris.

We began the wash process with a Sonax Multi-Star APC foam bath. This step allowed the APC to loosen any bonded contamination and prepare the paintwork for a traditional 2×2 bucket wash. The APC bath has become one of our favorite methods in preparing paintwork prior to a traditional wash. It drastically reduces the risk of scratching while using a wash mitt.

Once the APC had been rinsed off, we switched over to another shop favorite… Chemical Guys Citrus Wash. We foamed the car down a second time and added a few drops of shampoo into our soap bucket. We carefully washed the whole vehicle, rinsing out our microfiber wash mitt often.

This vehicle was receiving our full front end paint protection film kit so we grabbed some foam swabs and went through all the cracks and crevices in order to remove any dirt that might find its way out during the film installation.

After the wash process, we clayed the paint using a 22ple prototype clay bar. We dried the vehicle with the Metro Master Blaster Revolution and a couple of Premium Shield microfiber towels.

After the wash, we pulled the car into the studio and began the dismantle process.

We removed the carpet engine liner to reach the washer jets. We then used a pry tool to pop the wash jets out, by doing this, the film would be allowed to lay flat and could be recessed under the washers.

We then began to wipe the paint down with IPA in order to remove any previous wax or sealant layers still left over from the wash. We then grabbed our Rupes Pen Light to do one more inspection before the PPF install.

We set up our LED lights in preparation for the PPF application. Right before the film was ready to be installed, we applied an adhesive promoter to all the edges to lessen the risk of any premature peeling.

Wesley laying down bulk paint protection film on the hood of the RS. By applying bulk film in this area, we have the ability to wrap all the edges and make it as seamless as possible.

We installed top coated film on the entire front end including the front bumper, full fenders, full hood, mirror caps, headlights and door cups.

Installing paint protection film on the headlights.

Door cup installation.

After the install, we heated up all the edges to prevent any dirt buildup underneath the film.

We gave the wheels a quick IPA wipe prior to sealing them with Sonax Rim Shield.

The tires on the RS had some pretty glossy dealership tire dressing so we removed that with some Tarminator and an all-purpose microfiber towel.

The client wanted the rear emblem removed so we heated it up and removed it with some fishing line. The left over adhesive was taken off with 3m adhesive remover.

We then applied 2 layers of Gtechniq C2V3 Liquid Crystal to the paintwork, trim and glass.

Gtechniq C2 (v3) Liquid Crystal will add gloss and protection to your paint in an easy to use spray on formula! C2 v3 is a high gloss spray-on coating that will blanket your vehicle in a highly reflective, glass-like finish

Wiping the door jambs down with an all-purpose microfiber and Sonax Brilliant Shine Detailer.

We applied Nanolex Tire and Rubber Restorer to the tires for a rich matte finish.

When running any business, it’s common to focus on growing your business and increasing revenue. Revenue is important but increasing profitability is better, so we suggest you also focus on minimizing expenses, instead of just relying on new revenue for growth. This article lists 6 ways we have seen professional detailers waste money. Are you guilty of any of these? Don’t worry if you are, we have suggestions on how to fix each one!

Paying to come up #1 in Google – Who doesn’t want to come up #1 in google for certain search terms like Best Detailer in (insert City)? Of course we all would, but it comes at an expense of time and money. Organic search results are not that easy to manipulate so coming up that high naturally requires a lot of time and effort put into your website. The other option is to pay for ads which can be effective if you carefully manage them, however there is a learning curve to maximize your investment. Lastly you can pay a marketing firm to help you with your search result rankings but be cautious because there are some shady companies making bold claims. To learn more about local searches from quality sources check out these sites:

Paying for express shipping – Occasionally you’ll need a product in an emergency, but generally speaking you should be able to plan for what items your detailing business needs. Set up a time you regularly check your inventory and upcoming appointments to ensure you have plenty of product, pads, etc. on hand, even if you get a few last minute appointments. Order accordingly and prevent embarrassing issues that could be easily avoided with simple planning. Additionally, if one item fails like a broken backing plate or buffer and that prevents you from completing a detail make sure you have a backups ready to go. If you want to save more on your shipments check out this blog post Save Money On Shipping.

Not maximizing a sponsorship – As a business owner you can expect to be asked to sponsor numerous things like car shows, charity events, forums, etc. It always sounds good when you sign up but successfully sponsoring something takes time. If you choose to sponsor one, make sure you do everything in your power to maximize this investment. Utilize all available marketing mediums they offer like advertisement in fliers, banners, including a business card in goodie bags, mentions on their website, promotion on their social media pages, eblast to newsletter subscribers, etc. Any good organization knows they need to create win win sponsorship’s so they should embrace helping you out. Therefore, it never hurts to ask if there is anything else they can do to help you out to ensure it’s a successful sponsorship.

Paying for an expensive custom website – While it may seem ideal to create a custom website exactly the way you want it’s often not worth the time and expense. There are many great services such as Squarespace that will help you build a great website that is fast, effective, customizable and very affordable at $20 per month. No matter what your technical ability is you should be able to have a professional website that doesn’t cost you a fortune.

Paying full price for supplies – As a professional who purchases detailing supplies on a regular basis you should be able to purchase products at a discount. You can look for sales that meet your needs or join a savings program like the DI Wholesale Program to ensure you are saving on each purchase. Product expenses will have to be passed off to customers one way or another, so do your best to purchase items at a great price. Keep track of your expenses and make sure you are charging your customers enough to cover not only your time but also the products in use.

Testing every new product that comes out – In general most detailers have more products on hand than they can actually use, find the balance of testing new things but not testing everything. Read through product reviews and good resources like the DI Ask-A-Pro Blog Product Review section. Check with other pros and see what is working for them. When you hear good feedback from reliable sources make the investment!

Okay, I haven’t heard the last one, except at SEMA as a joke, but at the rate marketing claims are going it seems to be just a matter of time. Remember the quote from the movie Tommy Boy; “They know that all they sold you was a guaranteed piece of crap. If you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will.”

In a world filled with empty promises and smiles, the coating market is surely NOT exempt. Some coatings even go so far as to aggressively name their product to sound like a type of super hero armor, yet these same coatings hardly last a year and offer next to no protection.

Warranty Promises:

The largest issue with automotive based coatings tends to be the magical promises made within the ‘warranty’. While they tend to promise the world up front, when it comes to the fine print, the loop holes to allow the companies to not provide warranty service are as frequent as the holes in Swiss cheese.

A large majority of automotive coating manufacturers have loopholes within their warranties to allow easy denial of potential claims. This is because many of the automotive coating companies have an actual insurance company underwrite their warranty. So, what good is a warranty if all they are going to do is deny your claim to keep their premiums down?

An example of a typical disqualification clause within warranties:

VOID IF: … “the owner has deemed to have been careless, negligent, or fails to maintain the exterior painted surface in the correct manner.”

This is clearly a blanket statement to avoid potential claims to be made against the company.

Coating Marketing Claims:

As mentioned earlier, another big issue with many coatings being sold today is the misleading or outright false information claims either make or infer. For example, the advertising will make frequent mention of common defects such as: Swirl marks, marring, scratches, scuffs, scrapes, chips to the painted surface:

Even though many of these companies exclude these defects from the warranty, the marketing departments of these manufacturers advertise these defects are prevented. In simple terms, straight out lying to customers to drive business. The problem isn’t with the coatings, problem lies at the methods in which many of them are marketed and sold.

Some coating companies will encourage detailers to “pad” or add a percentage into your prices during the initial service to cover any future claims. What they are saying is that the installer should expect some issues and get paid for those issues up front.

Instead of placing all your faith in the coating itself, put that faith in a professional that understands automotive protection and provides excellent customer service. An honest detailer will tell you that a coating will make maintenance washes faster and easier and the car should stay cleaner longer than a non-coated car. If they promise more than that, then just make sure you do your homework as a consumer. While a coating can help prevent fine swirl marks from improper washing, that is not the main intent. Coatings mainly function to add hydrophobic properties to the paint system with some additional UV and chemical resistance. So if you’re relying on a coating to prevent scratches and swirls, I think you will end up being upset with a coating.

As with anything, neglect will take its toll on a coating. If not properly maintained, you will never see the long term benefits of a coating. Regular washing is an important part of maintaining a coating on your car in order to keep the protection benefits intact.

Conclusion:

The detailing market is being flooded with new coatings everyday – each one promising more and more. How can they tell you that it will last 5+ years if it was only released 2 weeks ago?

There are a few signs of an “over promised” coating. Lighters – if you see them hitting cars with lighters, that’s a sign they are reaching. Fire – if they are lighting their cars on fire, that also is another pointless demonstration that has nothing to do with real world use.

Since paint coatings are the evolution and future of surface care, when you’re choosing a coating, the most important variable is the detailer installing the product, not the coating alone. A quality detailer will be upfront and honest with you with what let you know works and what is just snake oil. In the end, the warranty will fall back upon the installing detailer to take care of any issues that may arise. So in the end, the warranty is only as good as the detailer installing it to begin with.

]]>http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/coating-warranties-valuable/feed/18Porsche 918 Spyder Project: Track Day Clean Up (Part 4)http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/porsche-918-spyder-project-track-day-clean-up-part-4/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/porsche-918-spyder-project-track-day-clean-up-part-4/#commentsThu, 14 Apr 2016 12:00:00 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=19280This is the final part of a four-part article series by James Melfi of Auto Nuvo. In this series, James takes a beautiful jet black Porsche 918 Spyder and performs various detailing steps. Everything from inspection, washing, drying, polishing and even clear bra installation will be covered! To view all of the articles in this series click here.

Fast forward 4 months, and we did our first maintenance wash on the Porsche 918. We coated this beast with 22ple’s ZX Mistico Elemento glass coating, see the whole installation process in Part 3.

It was now time for its first check up and get the vehicle looking proper again after a hard track day. Upon initial inspection, the water beading was well–fantastic! Nice, tight beads. I listed below our process in maintaining this vehicle and ensuring the longevity of the coating. Mistico allows for much easier maintenance cleanings. Wash and drying time is cut in half and you can get back to what you enjoy the most–driving.

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]]>http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/porsche-918-spyder-project-track-day-clean-up-part-4/feed/9Porsche 918 Spyder Project: Ceramic Coating Installation, Final Pictures and Video (Part 3)http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/porsche-918-spyder-project-ceramic-coating-installation-final-pictures-and-video-part-3/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/porsche-918-spyder-project-ceramic-coating-installation-final-pictures-and-video-part-3/#commentsTue, 12 Apr 2016 12:00:30 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=19277This is the third part of a four-part article series by James Melfi of Auto Nuvo. In this series, James takes a beautiful jet black Porsche 918 Spyder and performs various detailing steps. Everything from inspection, washing, drying, polishing and even clear bra installation will be covered! To view all of the articles in this series click here.

With all exterior surfaces covered in top coated paint protection film, it was time to turn our attention to coating every surface on this vehicle in our full range of ceramic coatings.

Since this car wasn’t going to be shy at the track, we chose coatings surrounded around ease of maintenance and enhanced gloss–serious gloss. We wiped the film down again with isopropyl alcohol to ensure there wasn’t any soap residue left behind from the film install.

We chose 22ple’s exclusive pro-only ZX Mistico Elemento glass coating for all the paintwork. We laid down three layers of Mistico, letting the coating flash on the surface for 10 minutes before wiping off with a CarPro BOA towel. We cured each individual layer allowing for a harder, stronger, more vibrant coating. Mistico is one of our favorite coatings providing unsurpassed levels of gloss and depth of shine. After all the paint was coated and had cooled down we topped it off with a few coats of 22ple VS1 to protect the coating from water spotting and adding lots of slickness. VS1 can actually improve the scratch resistance of the surface if used regularly after each wash.

The exhaust housing and surrounding area was coating with 2 layers of 22ple VM1 metal coat. VM1 provides excellent protection while also being able to withstand high temperatures.

Ian and myself applying the first layer, long road ahead

All the leather in the cabin was coated with two layers of CarPro Leather, a two year leather coating providing stain resistance and extreme hydrophobic properties without changing the appearance of the material.

Glass protection went nuclear as well with 6 layers of CarPro Flyby Forte on the windshield, side and rear mirrors.

The main goal with the wheels was to protect them against tar and rubber buildup. We choose two base layers of 22ple VM1 Rim + Metal coat topped with two layers of ZX Mistico Elemento and finished with VS1. They had some serious protection when we were finished. The tires were treated with a few coats Gyeon Q2 tire and heated.

All the paintwork was coated, I mean all of it!

Final shots, in total we worked on this beauty for about 7 days and had about 50 hours into it. Worth it in the end!

Checking for any coating high spots in natural light

In part 4, the final part of this 4-part series, we fast forward 4 months and perform a track day maintenance clean up!

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]]>http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/porsche-918-spyder-project-ceramic-coating-installation-final-pictures-and-video-part-3/feed/13Porsche 918 Spyder Project: Inspection, Wash Process, Paint Correction, Clear Bra Template Creation (Part 1)http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/porsche-918-spyder-project-inspection-wash-process-paint-correction-clear-bra-template-creation-part-1/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/porsche-918-spyder-project-inspection-wash-process-paint-correction-clear-bra-template-creation-part-1/#commentsTue, 05 Apr 2016 12:00:34 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=19262This is the first part of a four-part article series by James Melfi of Auto Nuvo. In this series, James takes a beautiful jet black Porsche 918 Spyder and performs various detailing steps. Everything from inspection, washing, drying, polishing and even clear bra installation will be covered! To view all of the articles in this series click here.

The Porsche 918 Spyder is an 887 horsepower hybrid–that felt weird to say. This vehicle really is the culmination of automotive engineering, bringing together advances derived from fuel efficient vehicles and basically saying, “Well, how can we make this car even faster using that technology?”

This project totaled over 7 days and around 50 hours culminating to our Ultimate New Car Preparation Package. This package brings together paint correction, paint protection film and ceramic coatings to take surface protection to a different level.

Inspection

When we got the call to inspect a brand new, just delivered, jet black Porsche 918, you can expect that we were a little excited. When we arrived at our clients home early the first day we pulled out all the toys to thoroughly inspect the paintwork and determine what it required to achieve the ultimate finish. We first inspected the paint with a variety of LED lights, ranging from our favorite Rupes Pen Light to our custom built 5600 lumen light stands. We grabbed our MacBook Pro and Dino-Lite Microscope to take a closer look at some areas of concern. Next we pulled the car outside to inspect it under natural sunlight, this is what we found and boy, the sun doesn’t lie.

Lots of swirls marks and light scratches dulling the paintwork and taking away from the potential of the pure black paint.

Pigtails and left over sanding marks all over the finish.

Scuff marks riddled all over the paint.

Wash Process

Once we finished the inspection we decided on proceeding with the wash before we made our final decision on how to approach the polishing steps. We wanted to be certain we were seeing the true finish and strip away any wax or detail spray possibly hiding some defects. We started with the magnesium wheels and carefully cleaned them with a mild citrus shampoo and a variety of wheel brushes. We made certain to clean the wheels with pH balanced cleaners in order to protect the sensitive carbon ceramic brakes. The wheel wells and tires were cleaned with Sonax Multi-Star APC at a dilution of 10-1. After the wheels, we proceeded with rinsing down the whole vehicle– removing any loose debris. We washed all the painted surfaces with Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and a few CarPro BOA orange towels to lightly strip any previous protection and cleanse the surface.

We dried the vehicle with the Metro Master Blaster Revolution and a few DI Waffle Weave Drying Towels. Once dried, we grabbed a bottle of 50/50 IPA and wiped down each panel. At this point, we had a clear picture of the extent of the damage. The client and I both agreed to conduct a multi-stage correction utilizing a light compounding step to remove the sanding marks, pig tails and light scuff marks, followed by a refining step to enhance the gloss and remove any haze left over.

Before we could begin with the correction, we first had to call in our friends from Premium Shield to create custom paint protection film templates. At the time there wasn’t a full car clear bra kit available, so we had to go out and create our own. Each panel, wing, fender flare and door sill had to be methodically traced with transfer paper in order to digitize a custom template. This process was a slow one but vital in order to ensure complete coverage. This car was going to be tracked and required strong protection against rock chips and sand. We decided on wrapping the entire vehicle with top coated, self-healing paint protection film.

Correction Process

This jet black Porsche paint was extremely soft and required a specific procedure to cut away the swirls and scratches while leaving a uniform defect to easily refine. We used Meguiar’s D300 paired with a Meguiar’s MFFD on the Rupes 21 which cut away the defects and left a uniform haze. We used our Rupes 75E Mini and Rupes LHR75 air powered tool to correct all the intricate areas. The polishing stage was the most time consuming after we quickly learned conventional finishing polishes weren’t clearing the haze left over from the compounding step. Therefore, we needed to look elsewhere and I made a call to Kevin Brown where I explained the situation. He advised to try a procedure called water polishing. I grabbed a 32 ounce spray bottle and filled it with distilled water. Then I added 12 drops of Meguiar’s M205 Finishing Polish. I know this seems crazy but trust me, it saved us hours of polishing time. I misted the polish and water solution directly on the pad and worked it in with the Griots G110 and a combination of Meguiar’s 5.5 inch cutting and finishing discs at low speed, making sure the backing plate was always rotating. This method cleared up the haze where conventional polishes had repeatedly failed.

Compounding haze after our initial cutting step

Finishing with M205 and water.

In part 2, James will tackle the paint protection film instillation!

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]]>http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/porsche-918-spyder-project-inspection-wash-process-paint-correction-clear-bra-template-creation-part-1/feed/8Detailer’s…Lets see your 50/50 Shots!http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/detailers-lets-see-your-5050-shots/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/detailers-lets-see-your-5050-shots/#commentsThu, 17 Mar 2016 12:00:47 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=19212This is a short article where I am going to try something different. I thought we needed some more interaction with our readers, so I want to see YOUR paint correction 50/50 shots! I will then go through and pick 3 of the best 50/50 shots and share them in another post. We will then all vote on the best and that person will win a surprise gift! Check out my correction shot below and a breakdown of how you should comment to enter the contest:

Comments Should Include:

Name and Business: Greg Gellas/Signature Detailing

Pads Used: Meguiar’s MF Finishing Disc/Rupes Yellow Pad

Polishes Used: Meguiar’s M205

Link to Your Photo

If you are looking for some help on how to capture the best 50/50 shot, or just general photography help, check out the three great posts from Zach McGovern below:

Keeping my car looking great year round doesn’t just happen by accident. It is a process that takes planning for some free time and effort to perform the detail once I get down to it. Upon completion I know my car is in tip top shape and I couldn’t be happier with the time I spent bringing out that deep gloss. If a car similar to mine pulls up alongside me on the road I’m confident I have a superior shine! This article is going to focus on the top 10 reasons on why exactly my car looks great year round.

I polish my paint with high quality buffer. While it is not recommended to polish each time you detail, at some point you will have to polish the paint for the best shine. Protecting the paint with waxes, sealants and coatings will only enhance the way the paint already looks, so for the best shine you’ll have to polish the paint beforehand. Polishing strictly by hand will have limited results so utilizing a high quality buffer combined with good pads and polishes will be a huge help. For paint in great condition you may be able to do a one step process, but as a vehicle ages a 2 – 3 step polishing process will be needed for best results!

I clean my tires first then dress them. Have you ever seen a car that the paint just looks absolutely stunning, but the tires are faded and/or dirty? That contrast just pulls your eyes from the paint to the ugly tires below. It just really takes away from the overall look of the vehicle. Proper cleaning and tire dressing will pretty up those “shoes” as some may say, and bring your vehicle to the next level.

I inspect my wash mitt and microfiber towels regularly. If your wash media or microfiber towels are dirty you’re likely adding swirls and fine scratches to the paint. There is nothing worse than polishing your paint and performing a final microfiber wipe down, only to realize your towel is dirty and has scratched up the paint. Well, it now looks like you will be polishing again! Inspect your towels and save yourself the headache of performing double the work.

I polish headlights as needed. Hazy headlights not only cause a big safety issue, but they are simply put, hideous! I always inspect my headlights and polish them as needed to keep them crystal clear. I then am sure to protect them so they stay looking their best much longer.

I have a regular detailing schedule and protect the entire vehicle year round. I make sure to perform a complete detail 1-2 times a year at a minimum and smaller maintenance details in between. This keeps my car looking its best year round. 1 little tip, put time aside and plan for a detail. I find that if you wait for some free time, detailing my be pushed aside or forgotten about.

I utilize high quality detailing techniques and educate myself. I always make sure to read the Ask-A-Pro Blog and the Detailing Guide. This helps me stay up to date on new and exciting top products and high end detailing techniques. Plus, the authors on this blog do fantastic work, meaning there are always hints and tips to pick up on along the way. I have also found that you can sometimes get comfortable with your favorite combinations and not give time to new products coming out. Keep an open mind and different products could really surprise you!

I don’t neglect the trim. We tend to focus on the paint and wheels and rightfully so, but show stopping cars never stop there. You have to clean the trim, windows, wheel wells, etc. to add that deep dark contrast that really makes your vehicle pop.

I fix my car. If I get in an accident, chip the paint, etc. I get it fixed right away. No one likes to see huge dents, paint chips, and much more taking away from the ultimate look of the vehicle. Plus, if you wait a long time to take care of certain damages, you could always run the risk of making it worse and having to spend even more in repairs.

I have streak free crystal clear windows. This one is more of an interior pet peeve than exterior. Getting streak free windows can be very tricky and does take patience, but it is well worth it in the end. Like your headlights, streaky windows are an eye sore and can be dangerous when driving. Take care of your glass the way you would your interior and keep everything clean and clear!

My interior is in tip top shape! From no dust on the dashboard, no fingerprints or smudges on the glass, to clean and stain free carpets, my interior looks like the day I picked it up from the dealership. This area is certainly not an area that is seen by everyone, however it is the area that is used the most by you. Keep it look it’s best and when you do have someone else in the car the clean interior will be sure to impress them.

Do you think your car looks better than mine!? Share your reasons for believing so in the comments section below!

There is nothing worse than hopping into a filthy vehicle. The smell, the dirt, the dust, it just takes away from the overall look and feel of your vehicle and can cause people to ask themselves, why exactly is this car not cared for. Now a truck or car that is strictly used for work may be a different story, but in the detailing world most of us want the exterior and interior of our vehicles to be pristine. We always talk about what products you can use on specific areas to keep them looking their best, but we rarely cover more maintenance or proactive ways to keep your car clean. Take the time to read some of our tips for keeping your car clean below!

Garage It – It may seem obvious but if possible, keeping your car in a garage is arguably the best way to keep the exterior of your car clean. It keeps the paint away from sun, rain, salt, snow, etc. and if your car is freshly detailed, it will allow you to keep that shine going for much longer! If you are like me and have a garage packed with random stuff, rent a dumpster, donate some of that stuff and get your car in the garage!

Wipe Your Feet – Take a second to give your feet a quick wipe before hopping into your car. You will be surprised at the amount of dirt that can be on the bottom of your shoes and with a quick wipe, you can keep some dirt and grime from ever entering the vehicle. Another option is to splurge and pick up some heavy duty rubber mats. It is amazing how much dirt these mats keep off your carpets, making future cleanings so much easier. These are a must for anyone living in an area that features lots of snow!

Wash Your Hands – You will be surprised at exactly how dirty your hands can be after shaking hands, opening doors, eating food, etc. combined with lotions, natural human oils, makeup, etc. These everyday contaminants can easily go from your hands to the buttons, steering wheel, door handles, shifter and anything else you touch. Washing your hands can make all the difference in your car. I mean, who wants to touch a dirty steering wheel anyways!

What Comes In, Must Go Out – Give yourself the rule that any bags, wrappers, food, etc. that you bring in, must come out of the car the same day. Don’t leave anything in the car that can instead be thrown in the trash can or stored in your house. The less clutter in the car, the less you have to clean.

Don’t Eat Inside Your Car – I know I mentioned food in the tip above, but one of the best ways to keep your car clean is by not eating in it. Sometimes you are running out of time and need to grab a quick bite to eat, it happens to everyone, but any food, drinks, etc. will only increase your chances of a spill or some sort of mess. More commonly you’ll get food residue on your hands that inevitably transfers on to something in your vehicle. Keep food away from the vehicle and your cleaning schedule will be shorter and much less labor intensive.

No Smoking – That dreaded smoke smell! Anyone who has detailed a smoker’s car can attest, smoke smell can be extremely hard to remove and unless you are a smoker, this may not be a smell that most people are fond of. On top of the smell, cigarettes can leave a nasty film everywhere that can be challenging to remove. Let friends know it’s a non-smoking vehicle and keep that smell and residue far away from your vehicle.

Pets – We all love our pets and to many, they are considered part of the family. With that said, as much as we may not like to admit it, they can be really dirty. Hair, slobber, etc. can find their way into your interior and not only add to the dirt and grime, but they can tend to leave behind a not so nice smell (Just think of that wet dog smell, yuck!). The good news is that this dirt, grime and smell can be removed with good products and techniques, but preemptive measures can avoid the effort of having to remove it all together.

Street Lamps & Trees – Sometimes it’s tempting to want to park under the shade of a tree to keep the vehicle cooler on a hot summer day, or to park near a street lamp so you can easily see at night. Often times there can be no issues, but parking here can create a huge unforeseen headache. The problem is birds like to sit in trees or on these posts, bugs are attracted to the lights, and trees can drop terrible sap. These bugs, tree sap, and bird bombs can actually etch into your paint and be a nightmare to remove. Some cases will even call for multiple polishing steps or body shop work to bring the paint back to life! The best thing to do is to avoid these areas all together when you park.

Washing – General washing to remove contamination is the easiest way to keep your car looking clean. Letting any contamination build up for long periods of time can only make washing more difficult and increase your risk of adding swirls and scratches and other imperfections. Keeping a washing schedule will keep your car looking great (more on this below)!

Cleaning Schedule – Take the time to give your car one complete detail and then follow a schedule. The complete detail will allow you to bring your car back to looking it’s absolute best and a schedule will cut down on your overall cleaning time. Think about it like this, clean your interior one week, the glass the next, and maybe breaking up the exterior into wheels, trim, paint, etc. Breaking your cleaning down into a schedule weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or whatever works the best for you will allow you to detail for 15 minutes here, an hour there, or whatever the time may be. This takes the sting out of waiting a few months and having to put aside an entire day to perform another complete detail. Stick to a schedule that fits you and your car will always be looking great and turning heads!

Anyone have any other tips for keeping your car clean? Leave them in the comments section below!

]]>http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/top-10-ways-to-keep-your-car-clean/feed/6Meguiar’s M205: Cutting & Finishing Versatilityhttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/meguiars-m205-cutting-finishing-versatility/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/meguiars-m205-cutting-finishing-versatility/#commentsTue, 16 Feb 2016 13:00:04 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=17334We were contacted to perform a paint correction service on this beautiful Porsche 911 Turbo S and I knew right away it was a great opportunity to use one of my favorite polishes, Meguiar’s M205. This is a polish that cuts like a compound and finishes down like an ultra-fine polish if the right techniques are used. Porsche Atlas Grey Metallic is one of my favorite paints to correct, it’s one of those paints that’s right in the sweet spot between hard and soft clear coats.

I attended NXT East hosted by Kevin Brown, Jason Rose, Mike Stoops and Rod Kraft, which is a really great opportunity to geek out on polishing and sanding techniques and learn from some of the best detailing minds in the industry. I returned to the shop full of new ideas on how to maximize M205. I had first heard about the system at NXT a few years back but haven’t really given it much thought until Kevin Brown aka the “Buff Daddy” explained that M205, if used in the right doses can be a one liquid system in itself that has tremendous cutting power as well as great finishing ability.

Now M205 can be used in a variety of ways and with a number of polishing pads. I highly recommend checking out Kevin’s full article on M205, where he goes in depth on how this system works. After listening to Kevin speak about how M205 can be used, I started playing with a few different procedures and below I explain just a few combinations that have worked for me, but with M205 the sky’s the limit.

On this particular Porsche, the paint was riddled with swirl marks, light scratches, hazing and a few RIDs hidden throughout. I grabbed a bottle M205 a 5 inch Meguiar’s Microfiber Finishing Disc and my Rupes 21LHR paired with a Rupes Exact Fit 5.5 inch backing plate and starting testing.

Meguiar’s M205 Cutting:

Prime the face of the pad with a copious amount of M205, basically fully saturating the entire face of the pad with buffing liquid. After which apply additional drops of product to the paint surface directly. Now you have a pad, jam packed with abrasives ready to cut away at the paint. M205 is a very “fluid” polish and the thought process behind this crazy amount of M205 being used, is that it will keep the paint residue or debris floating within the mass amount of M205 and prohibit the microfiber pad from getting loaded up with paint residue, diminishing cutting power. In many cases, this procedure isn’t necessary and a traditional compound will do the trick to eliminate defects. However, on some paints, the accumulation of paint residue being scraped off by the compound abrasives loads up the face of the pad so quickly that cutting stops almost as soon as you turn on the machine. In some cases, you need a buffing liquid that is going to keep that residue from clogging up so quickly and that is where M205 fits it.

Meguiar’s M205 Finishing:

After we cut away the defects with our Meguiar’s MFFD and M205 system, only a slight haze remained. I grabbed a Rupes 5.5 inch Yellow Pad and applied one drop of M205 and a slight mist of water which cleared up the haze, restoring clarity and gloss. After the polishing procedure was complete, we applied top coated paint protection film to the entire front end and topped the film and paintwork with the exclusive 22PLE ZX Mistico Elemento glass coat.

Meguiar’s M205 is one of the most versatile polishes in our detailing arsenal and I definitely recommend you give it a try. Thanks again to Kevin Brown, Jason Rose, Mike Stoops and Rod Kraft for showing me the power and wackiness of M205 and how it can save you time and a lot of head scratching.

Here is a topic that hits home for me and something I’ve been struggling with for a couple years now. I feel it pertains to a majority of detailing companies and people in general all over the world, particularly folks in the subtropical locations. Skin Cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the United States, fair-skin people like myself especially. However, it can creep up on you no matter where you are.

There are 3 common types of skin cancer (Basal Cell, Squamous Cell & Melanoma) and in that order of harmfulness. As I began to look further into skin cancers over the course of the last two years or so, I get frustrated about it because it is kind of unavoidable. The only real prevention is to stay clear of the sun…okay, how do I do that living in the sunshine state? This particular problem will probably change my life since I’ve always been an outdoors person. I’ve had two major Mohs surgery’s during 2015 (both on my neck and in the same general location, my driver’s side) to remove rather large and aggressive squamous cells carcinoma (SCC). The first procedure they cut a hole in the side of my neck almost the size of a golf ball and the second (10 months later) about the size of a quarter. I have so much scare tissue right below my left ear I don’t think it will ever feel the same again and most likely I’ll require more mohs procedures in the future. Having the privilege to be an author here at Detailed Image gives me the ability to reach more viewers with my post and help spread the awareness. As I have been getting older, my concentration has been to be more helpful to the people around me. I could have protected myself better in my early 20’s and this is the reason I thought this would be a good article for all of you DI readers. We become educated because of our mistakes and we as DI authors are here to help so that you don’t make these mistakes.

Let’s compare skin cancer to vehicle care for a second: What happens to car materials when they’re unprotected for many years? Unprotected paint will fade and oxidize, trim and tires will dry and crack, you get the point! Skin cancer is like paint oxidation and it’s either sever or mild, but at the end of the day it’s still oxidized and will never be the same again.

A majority of people do their car cleaning and detailing outdoors and mostly on nice days, I would imagine. I see it all the time here in the state of Florida, everybody out trying to get some sun while washing the car (note: washing your car in direct sun can cause problems to the paint, such as water spots for example). If it’s a periodical thing it’s not so bad but if you’re out in the sun detailing day-in and day-out, you’re asking for trouble (with mobile detailing especially). I spent most of my 20’s working outdoors or hitting the beach thinking my skin would adjust and I was not protecting myself like I should’ve been. I ran a mobile operation my first 6 years in detailing, working sun up to sun down on the asphalt. It wasn’t till many years later that it all caught up to me and the damage was done! Over the last 6 plus years till now I’ve done a really good job at not working outdoors too much, my time at the beach has mostly been during sunsets and when I visit theme parks with the family I’m wearing sunblock and a hat. This is how I know it could have been prevented to a degree. I knew fair skin ran in my family, I have been crispy fried and burnt more times than I can count and I hate the doctors. Bad on me for thinking I’m invincible…

I try to stay on top of it now by putting on a special order AVEENO PROTECT + HYDRATE Lotion Sunscreen with Broad Spectrum SPF 30 every morning whether I’m in the sun or not. I’ve yet to find this product in any store, but it’s been the only SPF that doesn’t cause irritation to my skin. I like it because it’s not greasy and oily as well. I had tried several samples from the doctors this year to find a good match for me. Clothing gear from Coolibar.com will be the outdoor work attire from now on, we’ll just take it over to the embroidery shop for some special added touches.

Prevention:

Wear sunblock

Cover your skin (hat etc.)

Visit the dermatologist once a year

Skin Cancer Types:

Basal Cell

Squamous Cell

Melanoma

Skin Cancer Facts:

90% of skin cancer is caused from ultraviolet radiation from the sun (most common form of cancer – about 3.5 million cases a year in the US)

Over 3 thousand deaths a year from advanced cell occurrences (we’re talking 10 plus years of neglecting of treatment for this to happen)

You can get it no matter what your skin color is – light or dark

Chemical Exposure increases the risk

Men are more likely to develop skin cancers than women (but not excluding)

50% of people over the age of 50 will most likely be visiting the dermatologist

One bad burn at childhood doubles the risk later in life

and most images you’ll see by googling skin cancer will scare you silly

Protection:

Much like all the talk we as detailers say about protecting the car, UV protection for the paint, best protection etc. etc. PROTECT YOUR SKIN

Sunblock

Apparel (www.coolibar.com)

Vehicle Window Tint

It’s so easy for us as detailers to be neglectful, a lot of us even neglect our own cars because we don’t have the time or it’s the last thing we want to do when not working. As I’ve humbly admitted to my own mistakes, I will say, our cars are replaceable, we are not! Be sure to protect yourself when outside working! Thank You for taking the time to read and I wish you all good health!

]]>http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/protecting-your-skin-when-working-outdoors/feed/7Why It’s Important To Have A Blog On Your Websitehttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/why-its-important-to-have-a-blog-on-your-website/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/why-its-important-to-have-a-blog-on-your-website/#commentsThu, 17 Dec 2015 13:00:14 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=18592

I admit, the word “blog” does sound kind of funny. “What are you doing today? Well you know… Just blogging!” Yes, it’s a weird sounding word that doesn’t necessarily get detailers fired up with that passion for car care. However, it is a key component to your website that gives you the opportunity to create new & fresh content for your customers.

Why It’s Important To Have A Blog On Your Website

Most companies that utilize blogs properly, do so to pull more traffic to their website. Blogs are the best way to keep your customers up to date with the latest news or any other offerings. By creating new content consistently and sharing with your fans you’ll stand a better chance at increasing your website traffic.

Your blog is the root of all of your social media activity. Once your blog post has been published you now have that post to refer to as the main source of the information. Whether you’re sharing your blog post to Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Tumbler etc. etc. blogs make social sharing very easy. Once you have a post that captures someone’s interest you will stand a better chance of the viewer looking into you and your services further (You got them to your website and engage in their interest(s)). If you’re able to create content that the viewers found educational or inspiring, it’s likely that the post will get shared continuously. Ultimately increasing the web traffic and working in hand to promote reason number 1.

A great example here at Detailed Image would be “How To Properly Wash and Dry A Car” by Todd Cooperider. This post gets nailed every single day with multiple views and continues to work for Mr. Cooperider. Created (posted) back in 2009 and has been well worth the time and effort.

Note: Once you have created a blog post you will “always” have that post to refer back to when needed and it will “always” be working for you in the chances that someone out there is looking for it. Search engines will not find your Facebook post even though it was an incredible detail…. If it’s not on the internet, no one will know about it in the future (Recommended – WordPress, Blogger or Forums to keep your work alive).

In the past I found myself using forums as my media outlet to display my work before I got involved with blogs. After a few years of dabbling with forums I noticed my work was mashed together with everyone else and I was losing track of my posts. I found myself looking into blogs as a place to compile my own work after that. As posts begin to build with your blog, you will effectively be building a secondary portfolio. With almost every car I do, the customers mention the amount of stuff to look at on my website and how the pictures helped them come to conclusion of hiring me. It could be either the pictures or the content that get viewers interested… or both (Both would be best). But by doing so you are now building a brand and creating the root value of your company with anytime sharing capabilities.

The building of your brand allows you to be the expert in your blog post. It’s always your decision on how much or how little you decide to share in each post. I admit that trying to come up with good substantial posts is a very difficult thing to do. Writers block or a topic of minor interest can be very challenging. Lucky for us clean cars are awesome, therefore creating a blog section on your own website should be very exciting along with consistent activity. The topics you choose to write about will ultimately define you & your services and help form a brand. At my own website (aowheels.com) I generally keep the talk short and allow the pictures to do most of the work.

Note: Over Advertising- Be careful of how much you advertise another product or tool that does not belong to you. Remember, It’s your brand you’re looking to build, not theirs. Advertising a “service” and advertising a “product/tool” are two separate things.

Being able to share your insight and knowledge on topics to help others improve! Number Four has to be my favorite! Pass it on! Have you ever wondered how many people have potentially visited your site, searched through your services etc. & moved on? Most people will visit your “services” to see the cost – then your “about us” for some form of confidence (or some other service that may be specialized). Those are all the most important call to action sections of a detailers website, but they’re also the most common. There may be a topic that’s appealing in the blog, but not on the website and it’s quite possible it will keep people on your site longer.

Having a blog could help others get the answers they’ve been searching for and it keeps you in charge of your business (your on-line business).

Content marketing and the practice through building a blog will help your SEO rankings (search engine optimization). If you don’t understand SEO or how to make it work for you…? That’s okay. The hardest part is getting in the habit of putting your work up and understanding the basics. If you’re not using a blog, there are other ways of going about SEO. Paying for SEO or AdWords may be a good idea if you know you’re never going to give it your time. Personally, I don’t like paying for the “what if” emails or phone calls from paid ads. Content marketing is a great way to get alternative results.

If this sounds like something you have not done before and would like to give it a try? I would recommend starting with Google Blogger. It’s easy to set up and the app makes it simple to post. You can do a blog post just as easy as an Instagram post through their app. Do you get all the benefits from doing the post from your desktop vs. the app? No, but it’s more about getting into the practice. My best recommendation would be a WordPress blog running on a page / website that has all your other information.

Quick Overview – 5 Reasons

Pull more traffic to your website – Blogs can be a great key tool in your online marketing strategy

The root of all your social media activity – Easy sharing

The building of your brand – Your social outlet where you’re the expert

To help others – Educate your viewers

SEO (search engine optimization) – Content driven

]]>http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/why-its-important-to-have-a-blog-on-your-website/feed/2Why it is Important to Satisfy the Silent Customerhttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/why-it-is-important-to-satisfy-the-silent-customer/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/why-it-is-important-to-satisfy-the-silent-customer/#commentsSat, 19 Sep 2015 12:00:12 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=17703

Marketing Tips: “Keep your customers active and loud”

What is a Silent Customer?

Silent customers are the ones you’ll never hear a complaint from.

In a perfect world that sounds like a great customer. To go in, do your job, day-in and day-out and never hear a peep from the customers being provided your service. It sound like a dream come true for a business owner… or not rather?

Physiologically the quiet ones will have a major impact on repeat business with you and your service as time goes on. They may not say anything to you directly but they will let a friend or another potential customer know of the bad taste they may have in their mouth (big or small).

Example:

You run a breakfast restaurant and every Saturday and Sunday are your busiest days. People come from all over to have the best homemade pancakes as advertised. Two customers, let’s say, Jim and Lisa, have been coming every Sunday for the last two months and really like the product but twice were dissatisfied with being sat a “somewhat dirty table”. Jim and Lisa are not complainers and they just wipe the mess off and try to enjoy their delicious meal. Then they leave knowing in their own mind, that something could’ve been better. After this happened for the second time they decide not to return again. What a very small and easily fixable problem.

So where are we with this right now?

We have a great product but yet the customers (Jim and Lisa) have not been happy with how the table was prepped… twice. It’s a very small and easy to fix problem, but now you’ve lost their business due to them being silent and not speaking up about it. Jim and Lisa spend on average $40.00 every Sunday when they would come in and eat. With 52 Sundays in a year Jim and Lisa would’ve spent $2,080.00 yearly on our breakfast. Not only are we losing money each year but they’ve also told a few of their friends about their unsatisfied experience and this has resulted in fewer new customers. Imagine if 40% of the other customers experienced the same thing? The yearly calculations in loss would be more than discomforting from silent customers….

How could’ve this been avoided?

Silent customers need to be approached and asked:

How are you today?

Did you find everything to be of your liking?

Were you pleased with your meal today?

Anything we can do better?

Just the simple acknowledgement of their importance to gain better service would’ve been key to the breakfast restaurant not losing a customer. By simply asking Jim and Lisa, if everything was okay today or if they were satisfied, would keep the silent customer coming back. If they were unhappy one or two times with small repairable problems you would still have a chance to make it right. You could offer a 10% discount on the next visit, a free meal… whatever.

Complaints are the key to success:

For every complaint that you get, look at it like a blessing in disguise. Customers are giving you FREE advice on how to improve your business. Some companies pay a lot of money to have their business criticized in order to offer the very best customer experience. Some customers are not silent and will tell you that they’re unhappy. The ones that do speak out are giving you a chance to make the situation right before they leave so they will feel happy about coming back. That is absolutely priceless and should be a valuable learning experience. The silent customer is the exact opposite… They will leave, never come back, and you’ll never know why.

No successful company ever made it just because they had a good product. It took a lot of listening to understand the end users and being able to meet their needs. By sending out surveys or asking questions to all and most importantly “the silent users” will give you the edge in understanding your own company even more. Handling the complaints with an open mind to improve your services (large or small) will let the people in your area know that they matter. Again, physiologically every consumer out there will find something that could’ve been better for them, that’s human nature. The key is, to find out what exactly it is that could be better and develop a strategy to correct it.

Every voice that comes through has the potential to better your detailing business:

Not only will those voices better your business, they will also keep your clients coming back and maintaining your yearly earnings. Your clients will know that you’re willing to do what it takes to keep their business! Once they know they and their possessions matter to you, a greater relationship will form, resulting in proud referrals and happy clients. I guarantee you that every successful detailing company can think of a few, if not many, people that helped them along the way by telling them what they didn’t like, what could be better, or any other general thing they would like to see done in-order to improve the experience and money spending. All in all these are valuable experiences that help highlight ways for you to improve.

Try to get even the silent customers to speak out. They’re great! They’re usually always happy, but maybe find out from them the one thing they don’t like. Give them the opportunity to improve your detailing business. Keep them happy and keep them coming back!

If you’re doing business, you have silent customers!

]]>http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/why-it-is-important-to-satisfy-the-silent-customer/feed/9Paint Texture Removalhttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/paint-texture-removal/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/paint-texture-removal/#commentsThu, 17 Sep 2015 12:00:19 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=17461As a detailer, there are times when we are called upon to do more, in order to properly serve client and vehicle needs, which requires skills and methods that go beyond the ability to correct and polish paint with a machine. Often, these methods involve skill sets which many detailers don’t use every day. Also, some of the best methods of paint correction can sometimes seem to be harsher or out of the box then they really are.

The skill and method of paint correction at hand, is the ability to correct paint defects and fix problematic texture via wet sanding on automotive surfaces. While I don’t support flat sanding of factory finishes, there are times when on re-sprayed cars or panels wet sanding is necessary to correct defects in order to achieve the level of gloss, depth, and clarity that is expected from a quality detailer.

After seeing the condition of this bumper, I decided to call a friend to get a second and expert opinion. I don’t sand every day, so after my initial inspection I deferred to the expertise of a colleague who lives and breathes wet sanding. So, I called Jason Killmer of JK Automotive Detailing, whom I met at NXT a few years ago. Fortunately for me, at NXT he spent a few hours in a small group teaching and providing many detailed insights about sanding, which he’s learned in his long and ridiculously successful career.

For those of you that don’t know who Jason Killmer is, he color sanded (completely by hand) and polished out the Pirelli Great 8 Finalist, and eventual 2013 Rilder Award Winning Ford, named ‘Checkered Past’. In all, Jason Killmer has worked on 4 cars in the Perelli Great 8 at the Detroit Autorama, with 2 having won the prestigious Ridler award– Ferrambo and Checkered Past. So, it is more than safe to say that Jason Killmer knows how to make paint flat, glossy, and perfect!

Seeing that this bumper was poorly re-sprayed, I knew I’d have to get some sandpaper soaking. I pulled a couple sheets of 2000 Grit, 2500 Grit, and 3000 Grit and got them soaking in some water.

While speaking with Jason he explained that the defects in question were called “dry spray”. He went on to explain, in very simple terms, that the most likely cause of dry spray is the paint gun being held too far from the surface, causing the solvent to evaporate too soon. He also mentioned it could be caused by too much air pressure within the spray gun. Too much gun pressure causes the solvent to evaporate quickly, and may additionally cause the sprayed “coating” or clear coat to actually bounce back off of the surface, creating both a horrid texture and a thinly sprayed layer.

With my hand backing pad I began to cut the dry spray with the 2000 Grit paper. A strike-through could be very possible considering that dry spray is typically spread very thin compared to a normal or “wetter” spray. That is why I started with a less aggressive paper. If this was a more typical spray, I would have begun around 1000 Grit.

I began hand sanding the entire front bumper since that was the only area that was re-painted. My total wet sanding process included a couple of light passes with 2000 grit, moving on to 2500 and then finishing with 3000. Each sanding step was performed in a cross hatch pattern, enabling the sander to identify when the finer grit removes the previous more aggressive sanding marks. After each step, and frequently during the sanding process, I cleaned off the area I was working and blew it dry in order to evaluate the progress for the level of correction I was looking to achieve. This is very useful when trying to obtain uniform correction or when trying to match texture of the correction area with the rest of the vehicle.

Although the end result of my sanding was not a perfectly flat surface, the improvement gained was just enough to match the texture of the rest of the vehicle while correcting the eyesore of dry spray I originally encountered.

While I had my sand paper out and presoaked, I also decided to sand the rear emblem area. I was replacing the emblem, and the area contained heavy defects, I knew that it was safer to sand with 3000 grit, than to try to correct it with compounding. Since the heat associated with heavy correction of paint polishing can be damaging, at times it is easier to correct defects with wet sanding and then removing the out light sanding marks rather than struggle to correct out severely damaged paint.

I also went around and lightly corrected some other deeper paint defects with the 3000 Grit paper to make my final polishing step that much easier. The results were well worth the time spent sanding this area.

Although not perfectly flat, the wet sanding achieved a great amount of leveling and really brought some areas of the paint back to life.

While the level of correction necessary to properly correct specific problem areas on this vehicle was intense and involved, the point of this article is to be open to learning and implementing new skills. The benefits of always being open to learning are simple and many– you will always be improving the quality of your work and making clients happy while improving your own skills. Had I not been open to learning from Jason Killmer at NXT, I would have never understood how to approach fixing dry spray and therefore I wouldn’t have been able to fully service my client.

That being said, I firmly believe that having an open mind and willingness to learn new information and skill sets will only prove to further your understanding and skills as a detailer. In the end this allow you to best interpret and services the many detailing needs of clients and their vehicles.

Once again, I owe a big thank you to one of the foremost authorities on wet sanding of automotive surfaces Mr. Jason Killmer of Jason Killmer of JKAutomotive Detailing. If you have interest to learn the art of wet sanding, please contact Jason as he offers private and group classes.

Every now and then I get one of these details that comes through that affects me out of the ordinary. Vehicles with history, proud owners and stories to tell have been becoming more and more appealing to me over the years. This time it was a 67 Corvette Stingray!

Intro

One day I was working on a custom 55 Nomad for a buddy of mine in the fall of 2014. He had invited a few friends over to see the work that I was doing and the difference I was making on the black Chevy paint. The owner of the 67 Vette was visiting from North Carolina at the time and by chance we had the gift of crossing paths.

The 67 Vette was being restored at a local Corvette Specialist shop (Burke Corvettes & Corvette Masters in Orlando/Maitland FL). The total restoration time was about one year! The owner and I started trading emails at the end of 2014 into the beginning of 2015 in hopes that we can schedule the Vette for detailing. Tim Burke & Corvette Masters (Restoration Specialist) has been involved with Corvettes for forever and they do amazing work. When the car is done, it’s done and if it’s not, it’s not. So the owner and I had plenty of time to discuss cars and give our opinion to when we think the car will arrive at my shop for the final touches! Towards the end of the restoration the owner came down from NC to see the car and meet with myself one more time so we can go over it together. This was the first time in a while we had face value with each other and had the car right there in front of us. This is very exciting for car owners to know his/her car is about to be done with the restoration.

Inspection Of The Paint Upon Delivery:

Issues to be repaired

Scratches & Swirls (Buffer Trails)

Orange Peel / texture

Sanding Marks (Hand Induced)

Fish eyes

Diagnosis

The Corvette was sprayed with 4 generous coats of OEM SS paint (single stage paint) to keep the vehicle as close to original as possible. The lower end (vertical panels) had the most texture problems as far as orange peel and fish eyes and was going to require some wet sanding to repair. The top side of the car (horizontal panels) had mostly just scratches, hand sanding marks & buffer marks that could be repaired through machine polishing (paint correction).

We did not want to sand the car perfectly flat, as it was in our best interest to leave an original look of the 60’s in the paint. The difficult part of the paint correction process was “texture matching” the paint (no two spots on the car were identical in texture). There was no consistency in the correction process as work began around the car. What I was using as far as pads and combo’s changed from one section to the next in an effort to get the paint uniform.

1″ and 2″ Foam pads (were used with the Flex PE 14-2 for much of the edge work)

I stuck with the Meguiar’s Correction system for the paint repairs as the owner and I felt it suited the car best! Meguiar’s Ultimate Wipe Cloths, I am completely addicted to (In the 50/50 picture below)! These towels are the best at picking up polishes and compounding residues during your correction steps. Between these cloths and IPA wipes downs you’ll be sure you’re seeing the truest results. They’ve yet to fail on me and will not scratching the paint. Detailed Image will tell you… I buy a lot of these. They also work super well on glass.

For it being single stage paint, it was one of the hardest paints I’ve come across in a while. It took a fair amount of speed and pressure before it started showing signs of improvement! As much as I love working with the large throw DA’s etc…. The Flex PE 14-2 played a very large roll in this detail.

The 67 Vette was with me for a few weeks before we got it back home to NC. After a few days straight on it I had to begin with getting some other work done in between. I would cover the car with a very soft car cover while working on the neighboring vehicles. In between I was working on things like the interior, which was a pleasure. After detailing so many modern cars for a while it’s always a treat getting something in that doesn’t read anything digital. You have to appreciate a car like this while cleaning it! Most every interior component could tell a story through the patina it naturally achieved over the years. It was an enjoyable yet delicate process with Swissvax Interior products.

Interior

The rubbers on the pedals were replaced during the restoration process with our Corvette Tech’s and have never met the soles of any shoes yet. When the car was dropped off they had socks wrapped around the new pedals and I wanted to respect the fact that the owner will have first go on the new rubber. I removed the socks, cleaned the pedals and placed some plastic around them that will be easy to remove.

Motor

Some of my favorite pictures from the experience with this classic.

On the final stages the car was topped off with 2 coats of Swissvax Trilogy USA Wax (A New wax exclusive to North America suited for our climate conditions). The final results were amazing!

This car was a privilege to work on! To me it was an honor to be able to put my signature touches on a car that will continue down the road of history. It puts me in a place of being a part of the car… and was somewhat saddened to see a part of me leave when it came time to send the car home. Till the next time we meet!

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Having owned quite a few BMWs (6-7 I believe, lost count at this point) and worked on even more at the shop, I wanted to share a few tips I picked up along the way. Most of them are common sense, but I found them to be particular to many BMWs, especially older models. In no particular order…

1. Brake Dust

Most BMWs are known for amazing handling and braking, but with that comes the horrible task of cleaning wheels that are caked with brake dust. Every BMW I’ve owned has had quite a bit of brake dust and the wheels quickly turn from whatever their original color to near black! Many of our clients also complain about it, so here are a few tips to make wheel cleaning easier while maintaining the finish on the wheels.

Regular cleaning is a must. Whether you’re using a regular wash soap such as CG Wash & Gloss every week or so, or giving them a thorough cleaning with a dedicated wheel cleaner such as P21S Gel, it’s very important to get on a regular schedule of cleaning the wheels so they don’t get embedded contamination that will start eating away at the finish. You as the owner have to figure out how often the wheels need a quick wash or a thorough cleaning, but the more often you wash wheels with a simple soap, the less often you’ll have to go in there with wheel cleaners and brushes.

The second part is simply protection. Similarly to cleaning, options vary from basic wax or sealant such as Poorboy’s Wheel Sealant to long lasting protective coatings like 22PLE VM1. The coating will provide better protection for a longer time, but even a basic sealant will help keep off the contamination if applied regularly. I personally like to apply the coating then I apply a sealant every 1-2 months for added protection. If going to coating route, a quick spray sealant like CarPro Reload is quick and easy to apply, but provides good protection.

2. Grille Cleaning

This area gets overlooked quite a bit and is most prominent on BMWs. Whether it’s the plastic grille on many older BMWs or painted, it needs to be thoroughly cleaned each wash. Otherwise, it’s not only going to look dirty and take away from the overall look, but the paint or plastic starts to fade and look old quickly when left dirty constantly. As with the wheels, a good coat of protection is great to keep the dirt out of there and make it easier to clean. I personally like the 22PLE VR1 for plastics and 22PLE VX1 Pro for paint protection.

3. Emblem Cleaning and/or Removal

Similar to grille cleaning, emblems get overlooked quite a bit. BMW has the badges on the hood and trunk, both of which tend to stick up a bit and allow for dirt to get in around the edges. I normally use a brush like the Boar’s Hair Detailing Brush every few washes to remove any dirt stuck by the edges of emblems. This keeps them clean and looking good. Another culprit can be wax residue collecting around these same edges, but it can easily be dealt either by wiping thoroughly when waxing or cleaning with a brush soon after.

4. Removing or Taping Trim

This applies mainly to older BMWs, like E36 and E39, which have a lot of black plastic trim that sticks out of the door panels and bumpers. If not removed or taped properly, the trim can easily collect wax/sealant residue and dirt in the edges. If polishing, it can also be damaged with a pad if it’s not protected or removed. On client’s vehicles we normally only tape it as some are hard to remove and the clips holding the trim to the panels are prone to breaking, especially if they’re old. On my personal BMW I’ve always removed all the trim about once a year to clean underneath and polish without the trim, then I also clean the trim while it’s off the car and protect it before re-installing. It really sets it apart after that’s done.

5. Interior Plastic/Vinyl

This too applies to a few different manufacturers, but is prominent in BMWs. A lot of the leather, vinyl or plastics inside tend to be a harder and rougher surface compared to most other cars. This can sometimes be harder to clean and hard to protect with some dressing. I normally clean these surfaces with a plush microfiber towel and then protect it with something like 303 AP, using the same type of towel. I normally do 2-3 coats so as to get a little darker of a look, which is a bit harder to accomplish on the rough BMW interior surfaces.

Well that’s about it, short and simple :). Hope it helps some of you BMW owners as it has helped me over the years. Thanks as always for reading and please feel free to share some tips of your own.

Over 6 months ago, Chad “Rasky” Raskovich reached out to me with a peculiar and very specific request. “Greg, do me a favor and send your personal information to the email address at Griot’s Garage I am enclosing at the end of this message. Also, please include a short bio of yourself and all else will be explained upon completion of this task.”

My response was something to the effect of, “uhhh OK, I guess,” which was accompanied with a deep sense of curiosity and intrigue. So I did just as instructed and off I went.

That was my initial introduction to Jeff Brown of Griot’s Garage. So, while I am sure more than a few times since then that he wanted to ring my neck, we have become friends. Since the time I sent that initial email to Jeff, Chad and myself have been part of a “test pilot” program which was designed for the real world Research and Development of these products. Through a series of testing and detailed feedback writings and conversations we were some of the first people to witness and help refine this new amazing BOSS paint correction line.

Recently, I read this on a forum, and thought it really captured the opinions which many professionals seem to have of Griot’s Garage.

“if you did these two machines it would…move you up to a even a pro grade (Machine wise) in the industry.”

With the release of the Best of Show System, Griot’s Garage has cultivated a new approach to paint correction, catapulting their line into the center ring of the Professional arena. Whether using these products as a system, or standalone, these products work well for the professional and enthusiast alike. While designed as a system, those of us more daring will be inclined to use them on their own.

With their new Best of Show System, there are literally over 380 different configurations between

2 Tools

4 Liquids

5 Pads

2 Sizes

Innerflex or no Innerflex

Washer or no washer

…to address virtually any paint defect or type you come across.

While Chad will handle more detailed information on the machines, I will give my impressions, quickly touching upon them. The ergonomics of the Dual Action machines are amazing. The way they fit into your hand and the ease of gripping make the machines a joy to use for 15 or 200 min. I could not find any fault with the design of these polishers. While they may be a little heavier than other machines in this category, the power behind the correction capabilities makes it well worth it. Additionally, a great touch Griot’s did was to send a washer mod with every machine. This allows space between the backing plate and the machine’s shroud, allowing for “free spinning” of the backing plate which allows for a little more backing plate rotation.

Moving on to the Pads and Cream’s. Starting with the pads, the white pad made a huge impression on me, stopping me in my tracks upon first use. The correcting power is truly amazing, while it also has great finishing capabilities, greatly reducing the DA haze. Additionally the low profile and firm nature of the pad’s backing doesn’t allow for the dreaded “wiggle” which can occur with thicker softer pads used with long throw dual action machines. The Micro Fiber pads are a great addition as well, offering incredible finishing capabilities, without the hassle of becoming matted down with spent product and paint residue.

Again in the forums these types of comments were seen about the old correction liquids:

“It’s no secret their chemicals have always been lacking, so doubt they would hype them up this much, even if reformulated.”

I’m sorry to say that I did share that overall belief about the former Griot’s correction liquids. The old polishes were outdated and crude compared to what is the market standard of today.

But, with the introduction of the BOSS system, the creams or polishes are also nothing short of amazing. The sub-micron abrasives contained in all of these liquids places these products in the conversation with best in the marketplace. The type, size, and amount effects both the cut and finish abilities. As a bonus the dust factor is very low. More in depth analysis of these liquids in articles to come.

To me, the stand out product here is the correcting cream. The high capacity for cut and the incredible finishing properties of this cream make this product a star unto itself. This is a perfect candidate to be used for 1 step corrections, allowing the user to apply their wax or sealant of choice the moment after the panels are wiped down.

Below is the Griot’s BOSS system chart, which explains the overall components of the system and their uses. These will be included with every machine shipped.

While this short article serves as a brief introduction and overview to a few elements of the Griot’s BOSS System, I want to say that Griot’s has continually surprised me and stepped up its game with each additional component of the system I was sent during testing. So I wanted to keep it brief because I know myself and Chad will follow up with more detailed articles on each part of the BOSS System. For now also see Chad’s BOSS Pads and Polishing Creams review and BOSS Polisher review.

If you’re like me, you spend the day cleaning and making cars pretty. The last thing you want to do is clean more when you get home. Needless to say if you have a girlfriend, fiancé, or wife, you will without a doubt be cleaning something. Although the products we use are great at what we use them for (cars, tucks, boats, etc.), lets think of some ideas for other ways to use them and make the chores around the house a little easier.

CarPro Hydro2 – Use on your shower surround to keep it cleaner longer.

CarPro Iron-X – If you’re working on your car or somewhere around the house, and you have a seized bolt, don’t grab PB or WD. Spray some Iron-X on the threads and let it dwell. This will make bolt removal much easier.

What other uses do you have for your detailing products? Leave them in the comments below!

]]>http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/top-10-detailing-products-to-use-around-the-house/feed/4Detailing In The Momenthttp://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/detailing-in-the-moment/
http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/detailing-in-the-moment/#commentsThu, 09 Apr 2015 12:00:49 +0000http://www.detailedimage.com/Ask-a-Pro/?p=16447Being a car enthusiast can lead to the start of a detailing company and usually at a young age. Nothing is cooler than having a hobby you enjoy and getting paid for it. Being around cars all day is a path that most want, but they never get the opportunity. A detailing company can very easily put you in the moment of doing what you enjoy, but have you ever gave it a thought about where it will lead or where it will take you?

The Beginning

At the beginning of any detail operation we end up teaching ourselves the basics, which could take a decent amount of time to learn. After learning the basics we begin to hone in on our skills and practice them to perfection. Education in detailing will never end as it’s a business that is ever evolving and requires consistent motivation and a willingness to learn. Everybody will learn at a different rate of speed over the years and it takes just that, years, to be good and even more years to be great. For the first several years of detailing the objective is to understand the job and get good at it.

Working Towards

Meeting the customers expectations and understanding the craft will lead to a career that you never saw coming. Like myself and most young adults, it started because of the excitement and love of being your own boss and working on cars that most people admire and dream about. Now it’s a reality and the progress moves forward with a continued education to meet higher demands. Through meeting higher demands we also learned valuable business structure. We didn’t see that one coming when getting started either, but it’s needed to be the complete package. Speaking from my own experiences, I can tell you it takes years to get to this point. Once you are committed to the craft, being a detailing business begins. The thought of where you want to take your business? Most people don’t start with a plan, some do, but not many.

Goals

I’d be willing to bet that most detailers who have gone through trial and error would tell you, “I wish I would’ve known this or done that” from the beginning. Mostly because you really don’t think about it from the start, but imagine how much time you could have actually saved yourself. At this point you now have goals for you and your company, or at least a sense of direction. I would highly recommend considering your goals from the start (at least in a more in-depth thought process). Imagine if you spent several years detailing to find out that it’s not the path for you and you learned your heart now lies somewhere else. Becoming a parent or other life altering circumstances may be in your future, and could possibly play a heavy role in your detailing company. Establish who you are and where you would want to be for the later parts of your life and set goals within your company to better your future.

Future

Not all will make it to having a future with a detailing business. As I mentioned a bit ago, most detailers start young and grow into the craft or fall off and go a different direction. Once you’ve made it through the rough waters and you’re now neck deep and fully committed to a life of detailing, whats next? It’s a very good question to ask yourself. Very few will have built a detailing life with a retirement planned. This is where I get the title “Detailing In The Moment“.

If you’re just getting started or considering starting, it’s important to think what you want out of it. Long term goals come quicker with a detailing company as an extremely physical job on an aging body is without question. 2 years ago my wife came into the garage and asked me “are you ever going to get sick of this” as I was kneeling on one knee polishing a door panel of an Aston Martin. For the first time ever I put a lot of thought into what she just asked me. Will I ever be sick of this? Well… two years later with 10 plus years prior and still going strong I think I have answered the question, no I will not. But that doesn’t mean I still don’t think about it. For some reason I think that particular moment will always haunt me. I’m really glad she asked me because I think that moment really got me considering my detailing future as well the future of detailing. It’s a lifelong commitment to learning in a career in the car care field. Are you ready for that?

Being committed to the education process is the key to success in detailing. The more you put in the more you get out, being out there and just providing a service is not enough. In my opinion, it would be “doomed to fail” and not just the business, but also a lost feeling one may have in life when trying to figure out what you want at an older age. Education and surrounding yourself with like minded positive people will open doors you never thought about in a detailing career. Pioneers and educators are the reason it’s developed with remarkable strides leaving a good future for those willing.

End Results

The end result should be exactly what you wanted and what you built, it shouldn’t be a head struggle. It should make you feel happy and have a feeling of success. Ultimately you want a business that is profitable and able to provide you a future with an established foundation and returning customers. You want the knowledge that your customers deserve and to have a trusted brand that impacts those around you. You need a future for your family and health that is not a burden. Honestly, I’m still to young (35) to even say what the end results should be, however I’m quite pleased to see where it has taken myself (At the time I started, I had no family or direction). The course of a detailing career is truly inspired from the love of some unknown automotive passion. This passion will take you places and introduce you to people you never thought possible. Doors will open and provide you with so many options from the priceless knowledge gained along the way.